Silver & Silent
by gerichung
Summary: I never did feel comfortable around snow… I didn’t know why… Or should I say… I couldn’t recall why. [Sephiroth side story]
1. Death I See My Beginning

Chapter 1: Death… I See My Beginning

**Disclaimer:** Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, its predecessor and all their characters.

A flash of scarlet, the viscous spray of blood… All it took was a final slash across my chest before it was finally over; I felt my eyes grow wide in shock as blood dribbled out from the corners of my lips. I coughed from the impact of being thrown back and a spray of blood drenched the palm of my left hand… _My blood…No… It CAN'T be…_ I felt no pain; the swift concentrated slashes to my chest had temporarily numbed my senses. I touched my chest and my fingers came slickly red, I felt my eyes trembling, tears trailing my face. I tried inhaling a deep breath to calm myself down and cast a healing spell, but I ended up coughing up another spray of blood. _Damn…_My body was starting to ache._ The numbness is wearing off. _God… I felt so pathetic.

My chest hurts… Badly. It feels raw… shredded. I drop my eyes and assess the damage through the liquid crimson veil that cloaked me, wincing as I gingerly touched the raw bloodied flesh and nearly cried out at the sight. I could almost see my entire rib cage… My flesh looked as if chunks of it had been carved and gorged out in several places… I could even see… The throbbing muscle that lay nestled between… My heart… A sudden image of the mutilated mass of thousands littering the ground during the Wutai war flashed before my eyes… I felt sick. _From Rage? Disgust?_ I wasn't sure… I lifted aqua eyes filled with loathing and anger to the puppet by the name of Cloud.

My adversary heaved deep even breaths, completely unharmed. His blue eyes were shinning, merciless with rage, reflecting the sweet darkness of despair… My heart bled for him… I wish I could have told him then how sorry I was for causing his grief… That miserable worm. But I could no longer speak, no longer scream. My throat had been slashed and with it my voice box. I had lost… I couldn't even stand straight… My body was swaying… I was dizzy from the intensive lost of blood… I was dying.

My body was numbing, a biting cold gripped my legs… I could no longer move. And yet, I refused to die. I had to make him understand! See what I see! Complete what I had sought out to do. I lifted my aqua eyes towards him in a silent plea for deliverance. _Oh God Cloud, just_ _kill me! KILL ME! KILL ME! You are the ONLY one who can!_

But he never moved. The blonde man had simply stood and stared at me as my blood soaked and saturated the ground. My pride and my life… Masamune fell from my slack palms and fell into the pool of endless nothingness fading from my view; my body was falling, then what happened next was like nothing I've ever felt before. A sensation, like I was _sinking upwards_, my body was falling, but my soul… my ESSENCE was floating, pulling out of my body, as red lifestream.

I wanted to scream. But no words… no sound came escaped my bloodied lips. _That FOOL! Now the madness will never end!_ Jenova… Will fold her wings of death around me. Like a possessive lover, she could make me… Break me. Her control over me will not be broken… Can't be broken. Even now as my consciousness dims, I can still feel her long nails tracing my skin; her seductive breath lingering against my ear whispering suggestively. I groaned inwardly, part from guilt, part from shame and part from pleasure. _Oh Mother… Why won't you just let me go?_

Now… I didn't have a choice… I didn't want to… But…

I will no longer remain… Just a memory.

My consciousness faded from the dark depths of North Crater… Into a world where all was calm, where there was no pain, where time itself seemed to stop. Iridescent bubbles floated around me… Flirting on the rays of red lifestream… Glowing as bright as fireflies and radiating a low, silvery humming sound… There were so many! Each a different size and colour… The surfaces seemed to shimmer and swirl, as if to hide its hidden secrets. I found myself peering curiously into the nearest bubble and what I saw made my breath catch in my throat.

The colour of liquid mercury filled my eyes; a small boy was holding a ball in his chubby hands, staring longingly through a barred window at the children playing from across a snow covered street. His hair lay smooth and silky, silver, like the wings of a fallen angel. _Why do I feel as if I've been here before?_ The young boy tucked back the soft silver locks obscuring his face and tied them back in a high ponytail and started bouncing the ball on his own. He was adorable! His face was smooth, flawless, and lightly tanned. Heart shaped with large luminous elegant sea blue green eyes with long lashes that fell against his skin like a dark fan, soft peach coloured lips were slightly parted to allow his warm breath to pass as soft mist in the chilly air. I froze. _That face…Those EYES._

My hands started shaking as I finally recognized the young boy, it would be impossible for me to have not done so… The realization had struck me like a backhanded slap to the face. It was ME. _Was I looking into my past? Are these bubbles fragments of my memories? This isn't the… Promised Land…? Where… Am I…? Why… Am I HERE?_

I didn't know why but I felt…Afraid and started to back away unsteadily unconsciously. But I was too late; the bubble was expanding now… Faster and faster, larger, I felt as if a suction was pulling me in, engulfing me. There was nothing around me to anchor myself, nothing to hold me back. I fell into the rapidly swirling vortex, a rainbow of coloured lights seemed to flash behind my mind's eye, and I felt light, tingly… The sensation was surprisingly relaxing and almost comfortable.

Moments later, I felt my weight suddenly drop down with a force like a fat chocobo and somehow I strangely landed soundlessly onto my own two black leather boot-clad feet. For some reason unknown to myself, I was wearing a red turtleneck sweater and comfortable black suede pants, completely unwounded. _How queer…_

The ground felt solid… I could even smell the scent of freshly fallen snow. If I took off my gloves I was sure I could even touch the falling snowflakes. I shivered; I never did feel comfortable around snow… I didn't know why… Or should I say… I couldn't recall why. I flexed my shoulder muscles languorously, rolling my sore neck against my shoulders. _Well, it looks like I'm stuck here… Have to make the most of it… _I was so caught up in my thoughts that it took me a while before I finally realised… that I was being watched.

The young boy stood some distance in front of me, his jaw dropping open along with a brightly coloured ball that bounced several times before rolling to a stop. His blue green eyes that have yet to obtain their trademark Mako glow were fixated… on me. _God this is just rich… Squirt sized me staring at evil narcissist grown up me. _I though wryly.

He took a slow step forward, then another, and another. Until he was standing right before me. _Was I that short?_ He was only up to half of my chest. He reached up a chubby hand and tugged gently at one of my own silver locks with what looked like total fascination on his face, the ball completely forgotten. "Your hair… Who are you? Are you…my Papa?"

I knelt before the young me and gently ruffled his head, his hair was so fine! Sliding over my fingers smoothly without tangling. That childish face was looking up at me hopefully, expectantly… He had yet to witness the horror of the death of thousands to die by his hand, and he didn't need to know that… YET. I smiled winningly, "Have you been alone all this while?" The young boy grinned showing perfect pearly whites, his excitement practically bubbling over. "So you are my Papa! Oh Papa! I've been waiting for you for SO long! They never let me play…"

"They?"

"The other children!" He chirped then looked down fidgeting his toes. "But I don't mind any more! Cause I have you with me now! I won't be alone anymore!" _Was I like that?_ I couldn't help but think as I stifled back a laugh. "Say… What's your name?" I asked even though I already knew. _I never knew who my father was…_ _So I guess it wouldn't hurt to pretend… Right?_ His kiddy features crossed in annoyance as he pouted. "How could you forget? I'm Sephy! Everyone calls me Sephiroth… But I like Sephy MUCH better don't you Papa?"

There was something about this little squirt… This… KID… ME that I was drawn to. His innocence? Naivety? I felt like a moth to a flame. Attracted to MYSELF! It just didn't make sense… _My inner child? Either that or I really am a sick narcissist… _I thought wryly as I wrapped my arms around him comfortingly, folding protectively around his small shoulders and smiling softly against his soft silver locks. "Yes I do… Sephy."

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Death… I see my beginning… The ice around is melting.

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**_That concludes this first chappie of my 2nd fic! I've written this according to the attributes and characteristics of winter, portraying Sephiroth as best as I can! Couldn't help it! Serious! Everytime I think of Sephiroth the first image that comes to mind is falling snow… Anyways… My first fic "Mako Dreams" has hit a temporary brick wall… Man… (smashes head on the floor) Serious case of writer's block! ARGH! Do review ne? It would really mean a lot to me…_**


	2. Innocence My Happier Days

Chapter 2: Innocence… My Happier Days

**Disclaimer:** Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, its predecessor and all their characters.

Drifting… Swirling… Falling…

In the moonlight, the snowflakes sparkled and glimmered in its radiance, as mesmerizing as fallen stars and surreal as a fleeting dream. Falling softly, as if in time to an age old symphony spinning its magic in the air until the cobblestone was covered in a soft blanket of pure white; it was almost dazzling in the watchful gaze of the waning moon.

I exhaled slowly, a soft stream of white passed through my lips and dissolved into the night air. I try to haul myself up on my feet and wince at the icy contact that prickled through as I placed my gloved fingers upon the frozen ground. The streets were empty, almost like a ghost town, the deafening silence threatened to swallow me.

_BAH… Like it would…_

"Mmmm… Pa… Pa…"

_Who? Oh yeah… Me._

Sephy lay curled up beside me on a thin straw mat, sucking his thumb and mumbling all sorts of nonsense as he slept. His cheeks were rosy from the cold and he shivered as he pulled his coat tighter around him. I sighed, pulled him onto my lap and threw my coat around his thin shoulders. Sephy smiled in his sleep and his fingers somehow found their way around my neck. He clung onto me like a baby and continued snoozing.

_This kid has guts… Oh wait. That's me._

His loosened long hair cascaded down his back like a silver waterfall gently caressing the cold damp floor. The colour gleamed like a freshly sharpened blade, his delicately curled sleeping form made him look like an ethereal, silvery merchild that had risen from the darkest depths of the ocean. "Papa… Now I won't be… (mumbles)… anymore…" I smiled and gently stroked his head, pulling him closer towards me; I found his warmth relaxing… Almost comforting.

At first, I had kept telling myself that I was in a dream and that once I closed my eyes and opened them again, I would awaken. I had done that so many times now that I had lost count…

If I was dreaming, how would that explain the soft icy breath that caressed my face…?

The warmth in my arms…

The numbness in my legs from the lack of circulation…

My mind was in turmoil… I just kept thinking and thinking and thinking… Until I found myself surrendering to sheer exhaustion, as the snow continued to fall.

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"_**Sephy! Sephy! You don't mind if I call you Sephy do you?"**_

_Who? What?_

"_**I know you're confused…So please…Just listen to what I have to say…"**_

_Who are you?_

"_**That doesn't matter… You'll know in time to come…"**_

_But…_

"**_You're not dead yet... You can't die yet. There is something you have to do… Something very important…"_**

_Where am I?_

"**_In Icicle Inn… Many years ago…Before everything started…"_**

_Everything?_

"_**Don't be afraid…"**_

"_**Unlock your heart…"**_

"_**Face your fears…"**_

"_**And…"**_

"_**Don't cry anymore…"**_

_Wh… What?_

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"You alright there lad?"

_Huh?_

My eyes shot wide open only to hastily retreat as a brilliant shaft of light temporarily blinded me. "Urgh… Where am I?" "I found you in the alley with Sephy. This is my home… You've got a mild fever…" I tried to raise my head only to find a warm hand pressing against my forehead and pushing me back onto soft, feathery pillows. "Please… Be still. You need rest. Don't worry… It's fine… I'm a doctor." His voice was soothing… With warmth in every timbre. I found myself relaxing and easing back into a cocoon of soft fluffiness and serene warmth.

_I think I was dreaming just now… I think it was important… But I just couldn't remember what it was about for the life of me…How frustrating…_

"Will papa be alright?"

A soft chuckle. "Papa? You mean him?" "Mmmm Hmmm!"

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"He'll be ok… If it weren't for him however, you would probably have caught pneumonia! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak out at night? It's dangerous!" He chided softly. "But… but…" Sephy sniffled gingerly.

"It's not his fault." I found myself saying as I slowly pried open my eyes, blinking painfully as they adjusted to the light feeling as new to it as a newborn baby. My vision was bleary, an unfortunate result from awakening from what seemed to be the longest sleep of my life. I blinked a few more times and finally my vision cleared; sitting beside me was a bespectacled man with warm green eyes with layered chocolate locks that was slightly streaked with silver that barely grazed his shoulder and showed a tinge of five o'clock shadow along his chiseled jaw line. Even though the smile on his face was open and warm, I could sense that he was uneasy. "How are you feeling?" He held out a strong brown hand and gently pulled me up to sitting position.

"I'm fine." I mumbled shakily as I tried to steady myself with a shaky hand… My head was throbbing… "Dammit." I swore under my breath, my head felt like a rock being repeatedly struck by the sand saturated waves. That pounding… Placing deft fingers over my temples, I began gently massaging in deliberate, slow, circles… Until that incessant, annoying pounding finally began to cease. The doctor handed me 2 small purple pills and a glass of warm milk, his firm nod, a gentle gesture that told me to swallow them.

_URGH! What was IN these pills? _Even Midgar Zolom gall bladder tasted better than this. I found myself grimacing as the pills fizzled and dissolved almost instantly into a tongue crippling bitterness the instant they came into contact with my tongue. _Thank Gaia for the milk. _I found myself thinking as I drank the creamy, rich, sweetness in large gulps in a somewhat sorry attempt to wash away that cringing aftertaste.

"Papa?" Sephy peeped out from behind the doctor looking like a little baby chick, aqua eyes big and threatening to fill with tears from worry. "Are you ok?" I nodded, panting slightly from the traumatic purple demon pills. It was a split second later before I realised that my headache had somehow miraculously ceased and my head felt as light as a feather. "You have my thanks." I managed to choke out as I welcomed another large gulp of milk. The doctor laughed, mischief twinkled in his eyes. "It's my job being the village doctor. The pills are effective, but they taste HORRIBLE!" "You can say that again…" I muttered. "I haven't seen you around in these parts before though… Have you been gone for a long time?"

_If you only knew HOW long._

"I have." I replied, smiling slightly figuring it would be best to make the best of these enchiladas. "I suppose you could say I have… I haven't been back in… Years."

Well, at least that was _half_ true, considering that I _was_…Well… Pint sized the last time I was here… And I don't ever remember even _BEING_ here…

"Thank you for looking after Sephy in my absence." I smiled smoothly. "Oh… It was no trouble. Sephy is a very adorable not to mention intelligent child, he's already skipped 3 grades." Even though the doctor replied me instantaneously, I noticed that he was studying me surreptitiously, his brows furrowing a little as his green eyes flicked from my silver hair to my Mako eyes. I could sense his confusion, not that I blame him. The combination of silver hair and aqua eyes was a rarity in Gaia, possessed only by individuals born with Jenova cells. Of course… He wouldn't know that… He was only the village doctor after all.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name…"

"It's Seth." I responded quickly, the pseudo name was close enough to my own that I would respond automatically if anyone said it.

"Seth…" he repeated, my "name" flowing richly over his lips. "Somehow that suits you…" He smiled. For some reason, _I_ actually felt uncomfortable. There was something about the man that seemed so oddly familiar… Those eyes… I was sure I had seen that shade of green somewhere before… So haunting… Like the whispers of past ghosts… A hand beckoning me to inch closer… The sense of shock after a dose of déjà vu… _Where have I seen those eyes?_

"Darling, do we have a guest? Sephy is being awfully quiet…"

"Ah yes… Sweetheart… This is Sephy's long-lost father, Seth. Seth, this is my lovely wife… Ifalna."

_**Ifalna? **But that means…_

To say that I was stunned would be somewhat of an understatement. I couldn't say anything. I was speechless. As the feminine figure came in through the door, I couldn't help but stare… That delicate bone structure… Those rosy, sun-kissed cheeks… That soft gentle aura she exuded… Those lips, the colour of watered down red wine, long, golden brown hair that shimmered softly in the light… She was a splitting image of the Ancient girl I had killed in the temple of the Ancients… Aeris… And for good reason, Ifalna was the name of Aeris's biological mother. Right now, the lady standing before me had a belly that looked as if she had swallowed a chocobo egg whole.

"You're… HUGE!"

_Wait… Did I just…_

Ifalna blinked in surprise.

_Oh Gaia… I DID._

She blushed slightly and started giggling as she stroked her rounded belly proudly with a delicate hand. "Well… I AM pregnant after all." She laughed lightly looking straight at me with long lashed, hazel eyes. Eyes so clear that they could bore into a person's soul. "My my… He's handsome isn't he darling? Sephy looks just like him! For all you know, they might just be the same person!"

I found myself choking slightly in shock and quickly swallowed. I had to be careful around Ifalna, her abilities as an Ancient weren't to be taken lightly; I mentally took note. Her husband was laughing. "Don't mind my wife… She loves joking around. Ah yes… I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Gast."

_**Gast?** As in… Professor Gast? The genius professor that backed out of the Jenova project and disappeared? Oh no… This just keeps getting better…What on Titan's green planet is going on?_

"How far along are you Mrs. Gast?" I queried, shaking all questions out of my head. _What would she say…? What would she do…If she knew that she was talking to the man who would kill her daughter…?_ "Just Ifalna will do… 'Mrs. Gast' makes me sound so old!" she pouted. "I'm 8 and a half months along, so she'll be arriving soon…" Ifalna whispered with maternal pride. "She? You know it's a girl?" Ifalna shook her head, her honey brown locks swaying slightly, a faint smile on her watermelon-ice lips. "Not for sure… But I just have a feeling it's a girl… She'll be special."

_If you only knew how right you are…_

"Papa! Papa!" Sephy, who had been quietly standing behind Gast, pounced onto me like a cat and clung onto my chest, nuzzling his soft cheek against my neck, evidently bored with the conversation. _I have to admit… The little squirt's antics were… Well… Cute._ "Let's go outside and build a snowman!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea Sephy… It's really cold out and your Papa has only just recovered from a mild fever." Gast explained gently. "Oh come on… It's no fun being indoors and studying all day…" Sephy pouted and pleaded, blinking large puppy eyes. "Pretty _PLEASE_… With sugar and cherries on top?" Ifalna giggled. Gast sighed defeated, unable to resist such innocent cuteness. Sephy grinned and grabbed my hand, dragging me to the front door and out into the snow. Gast and Ifalna grinned, mock sympathetic looks on their faces. _Some help…_

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"_There's something about him isn't there?"_

_Ifalna sat herself down in a comfortable armchair and exhaled a labored breath, her movements earning her a soft kick from her child. "There's something strange about him, I can feel his soul, that emptiness, that darkness, the torments…His aura confuses me. When I consulted the Planet, Gaia told me "Things have begun as they should." Gast buried his face in his hands exasperated. "Still… Why does he look so much like Sephy? Unless he…" He stopped at a warm squeeze on his arm from his wife. "Darling… Trust him. He's not an accomplice of THAT man, don't worry…" Gast nodded reluctantly and diverted his gaze to the window where Sephy and Seth were walking hand in hand towards the cliff, Sephy's favorite spot. Ifalna joined him and sighed softly at the sight. "Sephy…"_

"_The wheels of fate…Have already started spinning."_

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Innocence… My happier days… Snowflakes dance gracefully with the wind.

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_**Boo! Miss me?**_

**_Wow… It's been a long… Eh… 8 months? Since I last touched this fic? Oops… Sorry sorry! No worries! Should be continuing this at a pretty smooth pace from now on… : _**

_**Vote time! What should happen next?**_

_**Sephy learns the truth about his 'Papa'**_

_**Ifalna gives birth to baby Aeris!**_

_**Professor Gast puts the pieces together **_

_**YOU give me a suggestion: **_

_**Shouts To:**_

**_jason mahon Wow… Really? Thanks! I'll try my best to keep writing up to standard!_**

_**icewolf9: **Gomen gomen! Sorry I took so long… It's been crazy these least few months… I'll make up! Promise: Mako Dreams Chapter 6 will be out a week from now…_

_**Clorith: **Yes… I'm starting to procrastinate as much as you… Ha ha ha_


	3. Pain I Don't Want To Remember

Chapter 3: Pain… I Don't Want To Remember

**Disclaimer:** Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, its predecessor and all their characters.

"Ow…"

That was my first thought as Sephy practically shackled and dragged me out the front door, plunging me into a brilliant world covered in an endless pristine white sheet of glittering, soft – almost cottony – snow. The frosty Arctic wind gently caressed the skin of my cheeks and danced in drunken rapture with my hair.

As if on cue, I felt my hands turn clammy beneath my gloves; my blood retreated in my veins, draining, fading from my skin until I was numb from sensation and my skin as pale as fine china. I found myself shivering, not from the cold… The cold had no physical effect on me. I suddenly felt small, insignificant, useless, surrounded in a sea of snow so vast that would make Shiva proud. I hear nothing, feel nothing on my skin, except for the touch of my breath as it fluttered across the soft swell of my upper lip which I am pretty sure is probably blue tinged by now.

Nothing moves…

I am uneasy. That overwhelming fear of standing alone where no matter where I turn, no matter how far or fast I sprint, I can never escape, everything looked the same. Whirling three hundred and sixty degrees, all I see is Shiva's frosty trail all the way to the horizon against an all encompassing blood drenched sky.

And through all that, I hear a cry, it began as a soft mewling like a wounded cat on the streets, a gentle caress that spills over with so much anguish it scratches my heart with its claws, tittering me towards the edge on the brink of insanity. The uneasiness disturbs me in a way that I cannot describe, something stirs in my soul, resonates in my bones… Pulses…

Confusion…

Fear…

_Of what?_

"I…"

"I couldn't…"

"I…"

The words are barely audible, yet they echo around me, chilling my blood, my bones tremble… Slowly, the cries heighten in intensity, in frequency, resounding louder and louder around the barren blood cast snow, until I felt consumed. It hurt to listen, it hurt… I clamp my hands over my ears as my knees collapse and found to my horror, blood dribbling thickly from my ears. Blood so dark… That it was almost black. Yet as I fall, as I tremble, I hear the cries… So clearly… So painfully clear, torn with anguish and sorrow… Repeating itself like an abomination, over and over and over… So familiar…

"I'm useless."

"I couldn't do anything…"

"I'm weak."

"I'm useless."

"I couldn't do anything…"

"I'm weak."

"I'm useless."

"I couldn't do anything…"

"I'm weak."

"I'm useless."

"I couldn't do anything…"

"I'm weak."

_What?_

"Papa?"

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A sharp tug on my hand pulled me back from the depths of my mind. Sunlight blossomed before my eyes. I was standing on a cliff that overlooked the Great Glacier, diamond dust swirling and glittering in the air.

"Papa? Are you alright?"

Sephy peered up at me with worried aqua eyes, his small brows furrowing a little. "I'm… fine." _What WAS that?_ Relieved, the little silver haired boy grinned mischievously and tugged again at my hand. "Hmmm..?" "This is my favorite place in all of Icicle Inn!! It's pretty isn't it, Papa?"

_Pretty?_

The cliff overlooked the entire Great Glacier. I had never seen so much white before… The cliffs, mountains and valleys were a glittering swirl of charcoal, grey, white and blue. The colors made the view before me seem to shift and shimmer, it was oddly… _Familiar _somehow. I was staring down at the view transfixed when… WHAP!!! A shock of cold wetness smacked me right in the face. "ARGH!!" I gasped, sputtering as the cold took me by surprise. "Gotcha." Sephy grinned evilly and another WHAP!! caught me square in the face again, causing me to sputter again and fall backwards onto a mattress of white.

"Uh oh…" Sephy bounced over to me, cocking his round face to one side and rocking on his heels. "Papa? Are you alright?" I lay there motionless, holding my breath and slacking my muscles, trying to hold in my laughter as Sephy's eyes grew wide and looked like he was about to cry. I was about to pounce on him when he knelt by my side, watery tears dripping off his cold little red stub of a nose. "…Don't leave me again…"

I don't know why… I just couldn't move. Couldn't bring myself to tease this silver haired crybaby. For the first time, after all my years in SOLDIER, after all the lives I had taken, destroyed and wanted to destroy… I _felt_ something... Something I wasn't quite used to. _What is this feeling? This lump in my throat… This heaviness in my heart…_ The area behind my eyeballs felt like they were burning…

_All because of a little boy…?_

_Oh if Hojo could see me now…_

I blinked open my eyes and opened them wide, feeling my facial muscles twitch involuntarily as I tried to shape 'surprise and shock' on my features.. "Wow… You got a good arm. I think you knocked me out there for a second Sephy." Sephy blinked rapidly in surprise, a relieved smile breaking out on his chubby face. "Hee hee…" I made myself raise an eyebrow. "Were you… Crying?" I asked, rubbing the tears away from his round face. "Me? C-Cry? Nuh-UH!!! I'm a big boy now, big boys don't cry." He pouted rubbing his red nose and sneezing hard. I laugh at this and rubbed his nose clean with my scarf. "Gerroff" he pipes, pouting. "Papa…"

I hear a rumble, like a quiet thunder and realize that it is Sephy's stomach growling. "What time is it?" And then… I could have sworn I heard a whisper…

_**It's time…**_

_Huh?_

Or maybe it was just the sound of the Arctic wind…

"Think it's lunch time Papa… I'm hungwy." At that, I hear and feel a rumble that would measure 3 on the Richter scale. Sephy laughs at this as if it was the most amusing thing that ever happened. "So are you… Aren't you Papa?" I smile sheepishly. "Let's head back… I bet Ifalna has whipped up something scrumptious." "Uh-uh." Sephy shook his head furiously, his chubby face horrified at the prospect of Ifalna in the kitchen as he takes my hand. "Doctor Gast does all the cooking in the house. The last time Ifalna made muffins, she forgot to add the yeast… The muffins were so hard and heavy we had to feed them to the birds…" I tried not to laugh at this as we walk back towards the house, the delectable smell of roasting meat and hot soup wafting from a partially opened window.

"I think the birds had to walk south that year." Sephy murmured, his shoulders shaking as his face slowly breaking out in a huge grin and collapsed into peals of laughter. For the same reason… I found myself laughing just as hard as he as we plodded through the snow towards the smell of food.

Strangely… That moment just felt so nostalgic…

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"We're HOME!!!" Sephy yelled, very nearly shattering my eardrums as I pushed open the door, the welcoming gust of warm air was like heaven on earth to my frozen skin. "Hey there!" Ifalna greeted as she put her needlepoint aside. Sephy bounded over to her and gave her a hug. "How's the baby doing Ifalna?" He asked excitedly placing both palms on her rounded belly. She laughed warmly at this and ruffled his silvery locks with a genuine fondness in her soft eyes… "She's doing just fine. Lunch is just about done, you'll be joining us from now on won't you Seth?" I smile gratefully thanking the spirits silently that I didn't have to beg for food. "Yes… I suppose I will be, until I find a job and a place to stay of course… I can't possibly impose on your hospitality forever…" "Nonsense." She says giggling and waving a small hand dismissively. "It's no trouble at all, the more the merrier I always say… As far as a place to stay, you can stay here; we have a spare bedroom right next to Sephy's bedroom. As for a job… Well, I'll leave darling to talk to you about that. Come on… Let's head to the dining room. Food first, talk later."

Furnished with red oak furniture, the dining room was warm, cozy and rich with the smell of food. "Are they back dear?" Gast called from the attached kitchen. "Yes darling, and they've brought their hungry stomachs along for the ride." "Ah very good. It's Sephy's favorites tonight; kebabs, gratin and I threw some mushrooms together for soup…" Sephy whooped happily. Watching quietly as I pulled off my coat and scarf and sat myself down, I realized that they looked just like a real family, something watery was leaking from my eyes and left a warm, moist trail down my cheeks. I touched the foreign wetness gingerly, watching it glisten curiously on my fingertips. _I'm… Crying? _There was that sudden sense of déjà vu again… All this seemed so familiar… Somehow? But that wasn't possible, I was uncomfortable around the snow but to Sephy it was like second nature… It was impossible… Or was it? I didn't even remember _being_ here. "Seth, have you had any experience in the medical field?" Gast enquired breaking me fro my thoughts, as he brought out the final dish from the kitchen and sat himself down at the head of the table.

The question took me by surprise. "Well… I DID… I mean I studied Medicine under a physician when I was 16. But I'm not sure how much I actually remember though." I admitted slightly embarrassed as I spooned some potatoes and took a few kebabs on my plate, at the same time deciding it was best not to tell him that the physician had been none other than his former colleague Hojo. "Why do you ask?" I asked carelessly, jabbing my fork into a piece of cheesy, buttered potato and proceeded to raise it to my mouth. Gast smiled. "How would you like to work under me? As my assistant of course." The potato paused in mid air, the fragrant butter dripping slightly on my plate. "Are you sure I'd be the best choice? I mean… I… Is that a good idea?" I asked suspiciously, something… A vibe told me that Gast didn't quite trust me. _Who could blame him?_

"CRASH!!"

The sudden sound of shattering glass shocked us and we realized that Ifalna had dropped her glass of juice on the floor. "Ifalna, are you alright?" I asked concerned, noticing that she looked paler then usual. I touched her hand and to my horror, I found it to be clammy and ice cold. "You don't look so good dear… I think you'd better go to the room and rest, I'll bring lunch in for you." Gast said, getting on his feet to go to his wife. "No it's alright sweetie… I just… OHHH!!!!" As Ifalna got to her feet, she suddenly winced and collapsed on a heap onto the rosewood floor.

"Ahh…!!" Ifalna gasped clutching her stomach, her pretty face contorted in pain. "Ifalna!!!" Gast was suddenly right by her side, cradling her and trying to help her up, but the minute she got on her feet again, Ifalna let out a pained cry and her legs buckled. "Ifalna!! Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" She shook her head vigorously and winced. "Darling…?" She gasped out gripping his arm tight. "Yes dear?" Gast asked as he scooped her in his arms, wincing at her iron clawed grip and carried her to the sofa. "I think… She's coming…"

…

…

_W-W-W-WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!_

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Pain… I don't want to remember… The bitter cold begins.

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_**BOO!! Been a LONG while yet again but here I am again back at my favourite fic. Hope you guys like this chapter! Sorry to all those who have been faithfully reading this fic…. Sorry for taking so long!!**_

_**Shouts To:**_

_**Redwood:** Yes yes!!! huggles Sephy Chibi Sephy is just SOOO KEEE-YOOOOT!!_

_**Samuraix:** Thank you!_

_**Anja Summers:** I love this story loads too… Just that I take ages to update._


	4. Life And Death

Chapter 4: Life… And Death

**Disclaimer:** Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, its predecessor and all their characters.

"It's alright Ifalna… Doctor Gast will be back from the pharmacy soon. Just relax and breathe… Yes, that's it… Slowly…" I checked the clock; Gast had ran scrambling out of the house when that twit of a man realized at the eleventh hour that he was low on medical supplies and left Sephy and me to hold the fort. But that was close to 2 hours ago and Ifalna was getting increasingly unsettled as the minutes ticked by. _Where IS he?_

"AHHHH!!!!!" The two of us gasped out in sudden pain, she as another contraction hit her and me as she dug her nails deeper into my bicep and tearing into my muscle. "Where IS he???" She wheezed out, her russet eyes glazing over in a film of tears as she turned to me for some sort of distraction to alleviate the labor pains. "He'll be back soon… I'm sure of it. Just relax… How are the contractions coming along Sephy?" I called to my frantic 'son' who was relentlessly pacing to and fro and holding onto a stopwatch at the foot of the bed.

"55 seconds between contractions!"

"It's alright Ifalna… You're doing fine. Just relax…" I said for the umpteenth time listlessly as I checked the clock again. _How long does it take to go across town to buy some painkillers?? _"Papa?"

"What?!" I snapped irritably. "Can't you see I'm busy?" "Err… Is that SUPPOSED to happen?" He stammered nervously, eyes widening until they took up half the space on his face as he stared point blank at the sheets. I followed his gaze… To the _wet_ sheets. _Oh no… _"What was THAT?" Ifalna shrieked, scooting herself slightly backwards to the supporting feather down pillows.

Subconsciously, I got my fingers under the sheets and between Ifalna's legs and felt at her cervix. "Don't panic… Your water bag broke that's all. Cervix almost fully dilated… It'll be over soon. I know you feel the urge to push… Just bear with it for now... Understand? We don't want to hurt the baby alright?" Ifalna nodded and winced. "Gast… Oh where is that husband of mine?" She puffed before letting out another sharp shrill and held onto her belly. "OooOoOoOO!!! You better be a good kid!!" She scolded her unborn child.

The front door slammed open and the freezing wind rustled through the house. "I'm so sorry… The pharmacist closed early today. I had to run up half the mountain to his cottage just to get him to open the up the place. What did I miss?" The three of us stared at him in disbelief… Speechless. Heck, if it were warm enough, the crickets would probably start chirping. "…" Ifalna, Sephy and I just continued to stare at his cool incredulously before Ifalna let out another agonized cry. "Oh!! It hurts!!"

"Oh right." He said, finally deciding to fly into a fluster with the rest of the colony. "How close are the contractions?"

"55 seconds between each!" Sephy piped. "Cervix fully dilated." I added as I quickly checked, then turning to Ifalna. "It's time… Come on… Let's get you comfortable." Placing an arm under and around her waist, I gently propped her up in semi-squatting position to ease the delivery. "Now… Whenever you feel a contraction, push. Just push. Understand?" The mother-to-be nodded in between labored pants, her face both red and flushed at the same time and twisting like a pretzel in pain as she tried not to scream and all that came out was, "Oh… Mommy!!!!"

"Push! Come on Ifalna! Push!" I coaxed her gently, taking the pain as her fingers further mangled my arm… _I hope they have Restore materia..._ Sephy seemed to suddenly fly into hyper mode and starting jumping on the foot of the bed in excitement making the bed shake and cheering. "Push! Push! Push!" Gast stepped in and carefully lifted the precocious little silver haired boy off the bed and onto the floor in front of him. "Sephy… I need you to boil some water."

"EHHH??? But but…" He pouted, blinking large pretty blue green goo-goo eyes. "We need someone to sterilize the medical tools. You want to be a doctor next time don't you? Well… Take this as your first training." Gasts' reasoning startled and impressed me at the same time. _A doctor? I wanted to be a doctor?_ I felt my eyes boring into them like lasers, drinking in the scene as Gast pats my 'son' on the head and as Sephy bounced to the kitchen… Smiling?

_I guess that means I sort of went the other way in life huh…?_

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"Alright Sephy… Hold the camera steady now… Not like that… Yes, that's right… Good boy." I gently adjusted the lofty, ancient hunk of metal a.k.a. the camera in his hands. "Ready Professor?" I called out holding the mike over his head. "Umm… Papa? Doctor Gast? I can't see anything through the lens…" "What?" Gast hurried over and took the camera from Sephy and adjusted the focus and a few buttons. "There. Now we're on a roll."

It had been 10 days ever since the dramatic sudden labor of Ifalna, ever since assisting with the 2 and a half hour long labor, Gast had deemed me proficient enough in the field and hired me as his assistant and I had been put right to work in his home slash clinic. It was surprisingly busy for a small town and Gast had joked that ever since I started work there were suddenly a lot more young ladies falling ill. I don't know where that came from but it WAS true that there were a lot of young females coming in.

Today I had been dragged out of bed before the crack of dawn by - My next sword practice target - Gast who had tossed me with surprising strength right into a heap of freshly fallen snow while I was still half asleep… _Yes… I feel the intense urge to kill. _He wanted to surprise Ifalna with a little memento of their little daughter.

"Darn it… I can't see anything on the lens again." He complained as he tinkered with the confounded machine. "What are you doing, Profes... I mean, honey?" She yawned, rubbing bleary eyes then blinking them rapidly at the camera lens. Gast smiled at his wife and concentrated on filming her. "Oh, I'm thinking of taping it on video. But, the video's not working right..." At this, Ifalna looks confused. "What are you going to tape? Is there still something I haven't mentioned?" Sephy shadowed me and put a chubby finger to his lips. I smiled and mimicked the gesture.

He shook his head. "No, that's not it. I'm going to record my beautiful daughter. And when she's sleeping, her face ...Looks like an angel." _Just like you._ He mouthed silently with a smile. Ifalna chuckles at this as she gently caresses her sleeping daughter's cheeks. "First, we have to figure out her name. We can take the video later!"

"I've already decided! If it's a girl, then it'll be Aeris. That's that!" He declared, raising an arm and pointing towards the ceiling as if he were addressing a group of students. Ifalna gasps and spanks her husband playfully at this. "You are SO selfish! But Aeris is a good name! Hee hee... It's a good name, considering it came out of that forgetful head of yours!" She chids lovingly.

Gast puffs his chest triumphantly. "Right!? Oh, the video tape..." And the camera promptly fizzled in his hands and died. There was an awkward silence as the camera started to exhale thin wisps of smoke. I tried to hold back a laugh and snorted. Sephy giggled uncontrollably at this."#$!!!" Gast went absolutely livid and cussed as he shook the camera and feebly batted away at the smoke puffs. "These #$& things will be the #!$& death of me!!!"

Ifalna gasped in vivid disapproval and quickly rushed to cover her baby daughter's ears. "Honey!!!" I quickly turned to a half fascinated half confused and still giggling Sephy who found all this very amusing. "Whatever he just said, I want you to forget right now and never repeat those words again. Understand?" "Aww..." He whined, pouting. "But it sounded SO cool!!" I lifted him by the back of his shirt collar and off his feet until we were face to face. "Don't even think about it. Or ELSE." I stated flatly, giving him a look that I knew very well used to scare the living crap out of the SOLDIERS that worked under and with me. Sephy stared at me wide eyed and gulped. "...Yes, Papa." "Good boy." Smirking and satisfied I gently lowered him back on solid ground. _Still works._

With his feet firmly on the ground again, Sephy bounced towards Ifalna. "Can I touch her? Can I touch her? Can I touch her?" he twittered excitedly like a little bird. Gast and Ifalna laugh at this. " Of course you can!" The new mother cradled the little bundle and turned her daughter towards Sephy. The little boy reached out tentatively. "She's so SOFT!!" He exclaimed, his eyes glowing. "Like custard." He giggled. Baby Aeris gurgled in response. "Can I marry her when we grow up?" He asked eyes hopeful. I choke at this. "Papa? How do you think she's gonna look like when she grows up?"

I think back a bit, trying to find the appropriate words. But they escape through my lips before they are processed. "She will be beautiful."

_Beautiful?_

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"Aeris? You shouldn't be here." I stood behind her, watching her as the reflections from the lake danced its way over her smooth skin. There was a silence. "...You're going to kill me aren't you?" She whispered, not turning around, her slender hands still clasped in prayer. "I don't want to..." I had said. But Mother's will was strong, just trying to stay sane was difficult... It was her will that moved me.

She had smiled wisely then, sensing my inner battles. "You're fighting... For me?" She had turned to me, her green eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Then it's alright..." _Are you crying... For me?_ "I always knew we would meet again... Just not like this..." She whispered sadly. I take a step towards her, confused by her words but fascinated by _her_.

With that, I feel and hear Mother seething, she starts clawing for control over my body. I fight back. My body starts to shake from the effort.

_Kill her..._

_**No.**_ I insisted vehemently. I fight harder but I feel my control slipping.

_Kill the girl._

_**No! **_

_Kill the Ancient!_

_**NO!! MOTHER PLEASE!! STOP!!**_

I feel Mother smiling as she took the opportunity and snatched full control. In the moments that followed, I was forced to watch... Forced to see my own body leap in the air... Forced to watch to see my own two hands grabbing Masamune and plunging it into the girl's back and seeing it coming out through her front.

_**NOOOOOO!!!!**_

There was a cackle behind my ear. '_That's my boy...'_ _'Why Mother?'_ I had asked, close to the verge of tears. '_The Ancient had done nothing to us...'_ _'Because your feelings for the girl will destroy your wonderful bond with ME.'_ She spat venomously. Then she smirks, I can almost feel her long nails trailing up my neck. The sensuality of it caused me to groan inwardly._ 'You wouldn't want THAT to happen now won't you?'_

_I..._

'_Of course not, Mother.' _I surrendered to her once more.

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_Maybe I did love her…_

Ifalna and Gast look at each other, at Sephy then at me. "You know… I just realized that you're the only one who hasn't carried Aeris yet Seth." I blink. I was terrified of the idea of carrying a being that was not only born by my hands but would die by them as well. The idea was too morbid. Even for me. "I don't think Aeris would be comfortable being held by someone like me." _For a lot of reasons that you CANNOT POSSIBLY FATHOM._ I added inwardly.

"What makes you so sure?" Ifalna had smiled. "Come on… She's not going to bite. She doesn't even have teeth yet!" She and Gast laugh at this. I stood rooted, numb.

"Come on… Hold her." Sephy nudged me gently from behind. "No… No… I really… Shouldn't…" I was scared. I was panicking as I inched closer and closer against my will to the little bundle in Ifalna's arms. I didn't even dare to look at Aeris's face. "Come on Seth… She's just a baby…" Ifalna smiled as she cradled the baby into my awkwardly positioned arms. As I felt the gentle pressure of her weight, I swear at that moment my heart stopped. Ifalna gently arranged my arms around the baby girl as I took a deep breath, gathered the courage and finally looked down upon her tiny face…

…

…

…

…_What… IS that? Is that even HUMAN?_

The 'baby' had a face that looked like a little pink wrinkled _AND squashed_ prune. There was nothing in that face that remotely resembled the elfish ethereal beauty I remembered so clearly… I found my hand moving without permission to touch her face. _It's so soft…_I was fascinated. Baby Aeris yawned sleepily, burrowing her little head against the blankets and I could have sworn… In that split second, she smiled at me. _There's that strange feeling again. _"Aww… I think she likes you…" Ifalna cooed as I gently handed her back the daughter that Sephy slash I would one day kill slash killed. Aeris's eyes peeped sleepily out from her partially closed eyelids as she was moved. _It's her! That's her… There's no mistaking those eyes… Those same eyes that had me captivated from the first moment I saw her. _I spied Sephy leaving the room from the corner of my eye, his face oddly solemn and serious.

"Is he alright?" I asked. Gast just nods. "He's like that sometimes, that child…" I nod quietly, handed the baby back to her parents and excused myself from the family to follow the little silver-haired boy.

I found him sitting on the porch steps and staring out into the clear morning sky, his face wistful and almost looked wise upon his years. "The birth of a baby… Is so magical don't you think?" I said as I sat myself down next to him. It was amazing beyond words… Holding that tiny life form in my hands, that precious life… Was an indescribable for a killer such as I. Was I once like that? Small and soft and wrinkled like a prune? _**And so incredibly vulnerable?**_

_Oh rub it in why don't you?_

"Say, Papa? Did I come out the same way from Mama?"

_Errr…_

I smiled fondly and ruffled his silver locks. "Yes you did Sephy." Surprisingly, Sephy frowned a little at that. "What's wrong?" "… I caused Mama a lot of pain… Didn't I Papa? Is that why she doesn't want me anymore?" He simply clung onto my arm, looking into the sky watching the diamond dust shift and shimmer in and out with the rays of the sun. His question caught me off guard; I never really thought to think about Mother that way… Not even once. Now that I actually thought about it, I guess Jenova didn't want me… She simply sought my strength… Nothing more. I sighed sadly at this and tugged my arm away from his and wrapped it instead around his small form. "Silly boy." I lied through the skin of my teeth, knowing that this truth was best left untold. "Of course she wanted you… She just got really sick, that's all." _That's for sure…Sick in the head._

"Ummm…" He mumbled in acknowledgement but didn't sound very convinced.

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Life… And Death… When winter begins, autumn ends.

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_**Yes… It's me again. This is definitely my favourite of all the fics I've written so far as it is one of the most… No… Scratch that. THE most difficult fic I've ever written. **_

_**ANYWAYS…**_

_**Shouts To:**_

_**Foi:**__ Hey! Nice to see a familiar face!_

_**Darkaeonix:**__ This fic is a lot trickier than what I've written previously so updates will be much much MUCH slower. But all being said and done… This fic is my pride and joy. _


	5. Betrayal Who Can I Trust

Chapter 4: Betrayal… Who Can I Trust

Chapter 5: Betrayal… Who Can I Trust?

**Disclaimer:** Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, its predecessor and all their characters.

The next day…

--

"Papa! Let's go outside! I got something I want to show you!"

_Over my cold dead, maggot infested body. _"I don't know Sephy… The clinic is pretty busy you know? Doctor Gast needs all the help he can get…" I explained, pulling my long locks back, quickly twisted it into a loose braid and tied the end with a rubber band. Sephy giggles at this. "What?" I asked, tossing the braid back. "You look like a GIRL!!" The little boy howled in laughter, holding his stomach as he rolls on the floor. I growl and poke at his ribs and he laughs some more. Two small glowing green orbs roll out of his pants pockets. I recognize the distinctive glow immediately. "Where did you get these?" I ask as knelt down to pick them up, feeling their power coursing through my fingertips. _Fire… And Ice. Good Materia for beginners. _I noted.

"From Doctor Gast and Ifalna. They gave me new Materia. I can't wait to use it!" I raise an eyebrow. "New? You mean these aren't your first?" "Uh-uh.' Sephy shook his head. "My first was a 'Restore' Materia, but I already mastered it, so they gave me new ones!" He grinned. I stared at him awestruck and impressed._ He… I was able to master a Materia at such a young age?_ "You like magic?" I smile. "I LOVE MAGIC!" He proclaims, plucking the Fire Materia from me and clutching it tightly in his hand, proceeding to demonstrate. "Fire!" He whispers and a warm flame erupts a foot over his clenched hand. "Ice" I said back lazily, holding the Materia between two fingers and in a moment of milliseconds the flame was extinguished and Sephy's hand was completely covered in a thick layer of cottony frost. His eyes widened. "Wow, Papa… You're good."

"You're not too bad yourself." I replied, ruffling his mirror-like locks. "Tell me something Sephy… Has anyone taught you hand to hand combat yet?" The little boy blinks his big aqua eyes at me questionably. "Hand to hand? What's that?" _Are you kidding me?! _So I explain, "Sometimes, magic isn't enough to protect you from monsters… The problem with magic is that the more powerful it is, the longer and more difficult it is to use. So you have to learn how to fight as well… Do both at the same time."

"Seth is right."

The two of us rivet towards a smiling Gast. "Magic alone isn't enough. Seth, why don't you take the day off… I can manage. Teach Sephy all about fighting. He's old enough now…" I stand up. "Are you sure? It's really busy today.' I noted, staring pointedly at the queue of… Females. "Then again… Maybe I COULD use a break…" The doctor chuckles at this. "Don't worry about a thing; I managed just fine before without you." I pull off my white coat gratefully and smile back. "Gast, do you have any swords?'

--

_My baby… My son…_

_I feel you nearby… Where are you…?_

_Mama's here…_

_My darling…_

_Wait for me… I'm coming._

--

"Watch your position. Don't over extend your arms… No. You're using too much of your right arm." I coached as Sephy tottered slightly under the weight of the sword. "It's heavy…" He winced. "Bear with it alright?" I adjust his arms and his legs until they were in proper position. "How does it feel now?" I ask. Sephy looks confused and stared at the blunt, gleaming blade in wonderment. "It feels… Good." I nod in approval. "Remember this feeling, remember this position. This is how your body should always feel throughout a fight." I walk a distance of approximately 10 metres away and position myself mirror image to him. "Now. Come at me."

Sephy looks perceptibly terrified at the thought and just stood there staring at my incredulously with those large eyes, looking very much like a deer caught in headlights. "If you're not coming here. I'm going over." And in a split second, we are face to face, our noses touching. Sephy yelps and tumbles backwards into a mound of snow in shock. Quickly, he sits up and sputters. I walk over and carefully dust the snow clinging on his face. "This is how fast you need to be." I state quietly, my face serious. "If you want to be sure to live."

My 'son' looks straight at me and studies my face carefully. "Okay Papa." And he was gone, I swung my blade backwards just in time to parry his. "Good." I growled, feeling that sense of bloodlust broiling in my blood. "But not good enough!" Swiftly, I pivoted on my right foot and swung my blade, there was a loud clash of steel and I sent the little boy flying through the air a second time. When Sephy landed however, he immediately hopped to his feet and smirked. The very mirror likeness was scary even to me. "That was good Papa." He said smiling in devilishly sweet sort of way. "But not good enough. I'm still standing."

I had to laugh at this, at my own words being thrown back in my face. _This was going to be fun…_

--

"_Sephy seems to be enjoying himself." Ifalna commented as she sat by the window, watching the two practice and cradling a sleeping Aeris. "They've been at it all morning and even missed lunch altogether!" "Maybe I'm just losing my touch in the kitchen." Gast joked back then turned his attention to his baby girl, kissing her gently on her tiny forehead before walking out to his desk to finish off his paperwork for the day. _

"_Do you trust him?"His wife's question caught him slightly off guard. "Hmm… I suppose I do. It's evident that the two of them are related somehow though I still find it somewhat difficult to believe." _

"_Is it possible that he….?"_

"_No. Sephy was the very first of his kind. It's not possible that another was made before him."_

"_I see…" There was a silence between the two. "But they ARE blood-related." Gast sighed at that. "Yes… That's what I find hard to believe. It shouldn't be possible since we know who Sephy's parents are. But it's because they are blood-related that I am so sure that Seth wouldn't hurt the boy."_

"_Mmmm…That's true. Maybe we're thinking and worrying too much…" she whispered, staring back out into the snow. Suddenly her brows furrowed in confusion. "Honey? Do you know that woman?"_

"_What woman?" Gast looked up and realized that the fighting practice had stopped. Sephy had dropped his sword and was staring wide-eyed at a strange woman. Seth too was rooted as she stretched out her hands towards Sephy._

_As if fate had stepped in, a breeze blew at that very moment, pushing the dark hair from the woman's face. When Gast saw what he thought couldn't be possible, he stood up so fast, his chair toppled backwards with a loud crash. The loud sound waking his baby daughter and she began to sniffle. "Darling? What's wrong?" Her husband's actions startled Ifalna as she quickly tried to pacify her baby girl before the cries got any louder. "Ifalna, get help. If that woman is who I think it is, it can't be good."And with that, he ran out of the house and towards the silver haired pair._

--

"My… Son… Sephiroth…" The woman moaned aloud reaching towards Sephy with thin, bloodless hands. "Come to Mama… Mama's missed you darling… So… So much…"

"…Ma…ma?" Sephy sputtered, shell shocked and simply stared at the disheveled young woman. "NO!!" I found myself yelling and clutching Sephy close to me. "…Papa?" He looked up at me confused. "She IS my Mama isn't she? I can feel it…" _What?? _There was an undeniable something about this woman that pulled me towards her. _A bond._ I realized suddenly. She looked up at us and I gasped. Her face… Was so much like mine… My mouth… My jaw structure…

"Lucrecia??" Gast asked, running over and appearing by our side, he was staring incredulously at the woman. "I thought you died years ago!!" _Lucrecia? Why did that name ring a bell_? The woman called Lucrecia cocked her head to one side and laughed a chilling laugh that would freeze deserts over completely and possibly even petrify the strongest of men. "Is THAT what… My _husband_ has told everyone?" She spat, genuine hatred in her voice, looking very much like the reminiscent of an angry spirit craving revenge.

Lucrecia turned away from Gast and towards Sephy, her expression changed to one of love and possessiveness. "Sephiroth…" She cooed, beckoning my 'son' to come towards her. Sephy took a step forward but I kept a firm hand around his shoulders, holding him back. "My name is Sephy." He murmured quietly in that soft childlike voice of his. She turned towards me, as if suddenly seeing me for the first time, her features turning ugly. "WHO… Are YOU?" I opened my mouth to reply but Gast beat me to it and spoke up first. "This is Seth… He's Sephy's father." Lucrecia looked at me then at Sephy clearly startled and flabbergasted by such a likeness, she inhaled slowly, raggedly and suddenly she screamed and threw herself on me clawing at my throat with a viciousness that shocked me. "CHILD STEALER!! YOU MONSTER!! YOU STOLE MY BABY!! YOU STOLE MY BABY!! YOU STOLE _MY_ BABY!!"

"LET HIM GO!! LET MY PAPA GO!!"

Suddenly Lucrecia's head jerked backwards, her hair pulled sharply back. Sephy had grabbed onto her brown locks and was trying desperately to pull her off me. I rolled out from beneath her and quickly grabbed Sephy, dragging him as far away from her as possible. "Lucrecia! That's enough!!" Gast strode over to Lucrecia and went down on one knee to look her in her distraught eyes. "… Do you want to make your son cry?" He asked sadly. "Sephiroth…" She whispered listlessly, her voice dry. Sephy shook his head and clutched onto my arm, frightened by this strange woman. "That's right my love… Come to Mama…" She cooed beckoning to an unseen child.

_She's… Insane…_ I suddenly realized, feeling a sudden wave of pity and an urge to take the woman... _My mother_ in my arms. _But… If Lucrecia was my mother… Than what did that make Jenova?_ I knelt down and took Sephy in my arms. "… Your father made you a monster… He stole you from me and left me… Hurt you… But Mama loves you… Yes she does… He made you a monster just like himself."

Sephy blinked in surprise and looked at me with those innocently honest, searching eyes. I looked away, not quite knowing what to say. "…Papa?" Suddenly, Lucrecia screamed. Several soldiers had jumped her from behind and tackled her to the ground. "We received a phone call from the town council about a disturbance in the area. Is everything alright?" "We're fine." Gast croaked out definitely relieved, patting my back and started to lead me and Sephy away from Lucrecia and back towards the house.

"… Papa? Is that true? Are you a monster?" I looked at him quietly. His eyes widened and his face fell; he opened his mouth to scream.

_Oh… Bugger._

--

"_Is that him? Have we found him?"_

"_Don't you think Lucrecia would be able to recognise her own flesh and blood?" The thin doctor snapped impatiently, gazing solemnly at the screen, zooming in particularly on the tall, silver haired, aqua eyed man who was trying in vain to calm an erratic Sephy down. "Sephy!! Please!!" "NO NO NO!!" The wiry man smirked as their voices echoed around him in the surveillance room. The silver haired man was handsome… Long limbed and elegant…His features almost… Feminine. The long lashed aqua eyes were eerily beautiful… Eerily familiar; it fascinated the doctor with a hunger…An excitement that made his heart race. "Jenova born?" He whispered excitedly. "Or something similar?" "Papa?? It's not true is it? IT'S NOT TRUE!! Let me go!! Leave me alone!! I HATE YOU!!"_

"_Hmmm… What have we here…?"_

--

Betrayal… Who can I trust… The truth is buried with the falling of the snow.

--


End file.
